Dog, Cat and Me
by julieb716
Summary: The addition of Catherine to the 5-0 Task Force doesn't set well with Danny. He has concerns about how Steve's 'love' relationship with Catherine will affect the working relationships of the team. He's willing to give it a chance until it is obvious it is not in his best interest nor the team's. FYI: 'Dog' is Steve, 'Cat' is Catherine, 'Me' is Danny. Danny whump/Steve angst.
1. Prologue

_I do not own any of the characters except the ones I create. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only. Any misinformation about anything in the story, Hawaiian, medical or otherwise is all mine. Can't blame it on anyone else, dang it!_

_Even though I lived in Hawaii when I was 5 going on 6, I don't think that gives me any advantage in writing an Hawaii 5-0 story. Wish it did. :-)_

_Thanks to Storyfan101 for being willing to beta (in all ways!) my first foray into writing for the Fanfiction community. If it wasn't for one of her reviews for Retribution by Irene Claire, I might not have ever had the courage to try this. Her take on Catherine's part in Hawaii 5-0 got me thinking about this story in the first place. Anddddd… she and I are both very picky about spelling mistakes, so beware! If there are any, it would crush both of us! LOL_

_Also, Storyfan101 is Canadian and I am from the U.S., so there may be some slight variations in languaging. If you see "honor" or "honour," for example, both are correct. I'm trying for consistency and using the U.S. version, but if we miss one or two, it's not the end of the world, okay?_

_Enjoy!_

***H-5-0***

**Prologue**

Danny walked in his front door, sighing as he dropped his keys, followed by his badge and gun, on the table inside the door. Toeing off his shoes he then made his way to his kitchen in his stocking feet. The refrigerator contents didn't hold much appeal. He hadn't had time to go grocery shopping this week, although come to think of it, he could have done it yesterday during the day. Smirking, he shrugged that thought off as he pawed through the refrigerator looking for anything semi-fresh to eat. The one thing that was always fresh was the beer he kept stocked. Picking up a bottle, he popped the top while simultaneously kicking the refrigerator door shut with his foot. Moving to his living room, he plopped himself down on the couch, retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and one-handedly dialed for pizza delivery. Temporarily placing his beer on the table, he picked up the TV remote and absentmindedly flicked the TV on. Lost in his thoughts he didn't even pay attention to what was on.

Steve had made Catherine a bona fide member of 5-0 today. Danny had smiled at her and welcomed her to the fold. He needed to be professional and after all it was Steve's decision, not his. Catherine had her skills, but Danny was concerned about the potential conflict of interest that could affect the team. Having Catherine in his bed AND in his working life, Steve couldn't be stupid enough not to see the potential problems that could cause. How objective could Steve be? NOT! In Danny's opinion. Danny really wanted this to work… or did he? He had such mixed emotions. He liked Catherine, he really did. He just didn't know if he liked her as part of 5-0. God he missed Kono.

Danny kicked himself as he took another swig of his beer. He was being selfish. Catherine had helped them out so many times while in Naval Intelligence. God knows Steve owes her big time. She had just gone through a tough time leaving the Navy and then having her new boss, AKA ex-boyfriend, killed while on her first assignment working with him. That had to majorly suck, Danny thought, instantly feeling badly for Catherine and guilty for his thoughts. He realized, too, that without Kono right now, it might be good to have a female's perspective on the team to balance all the testosterone.

Then there was Steve himself. It's really kind of nice that Steve was getting over his relationship issues, Catherine becoming less of a once-in-a-while convenience to something more. Danny felt he could take at least some credit for that. After all, he had taught Steve how to let down his guard, become a part of a team and not the Lone Ranger that he was so used to being. Danny liked to think that he had played a major part in making Super SEAL more human. He smiled. Of course, Grace had played a role, too, in humanizing the SEAL. Watching Steve with Grace was heart-warming. You would have thought that Steve had 50 kids from the way he was with Grace. Gracie, as Steve liked to call her, brought out a side of the SEAL that was very sweet, very special to both Grace and her father. Steve had become less one-dimensional for sure and he had been there for Danny on more than one occasion.

Maybe Danny should just let it go. Maybe Catherine being a formal part of 5-0 would work out just fine. Maybe he was worrying for nothing. Maybe…

Sighing again, Danny told his overactive mind to just shut up and let him enjoy some dumb ass comedy on TV that took him out of reality for a while…

***H-5-0***

_~to be continued~_


	2. Cat and Mouse

_Thanks to my incredible beta, Storyfan101, for her awesome insights into several things that were bothering me about this chapter which is why I hadn't updated before now. It is much better now with her suggestions. _

_And thank you all for your reviews, follows and favorites. It means a lot to me as a first time publisher in Fanfiction. Once I figure out to respond to the reviews, I will. I'm still learning how to do all this, so please be patient with me. _

_Just so you know, I love my Danny and miss him a lot in the show and resent like crazy how much air-time Catherine is getting. Just my own needs to see Danny's swagger, his amazing grin, etc., etc., etc. He was really great with the baby though last week. _

***H-5-0***

**Chapter 1 – Cat and Mouse**

The next morning Danny was at the office early having woken up at 5:00 am, way earlier than normal for him. Instead of rolling over in bed to get another hour's sleep, he had gotten up, taken his morning run, enjoyed a hot shower (_it was nice to have hot water in one minute instead of the ten it used to take in his old apartment!_), hot coffee and some not-yet-molded bread that he toasted before heading to the office. He was the first one in, giving him time to get settled before everyone else showed up.

That didn't last long.

"Hi, Danny, what are you doing here so early?" Catherine said as she poked her head in his office doorway.

"Uh, hi, Catherine," Danny responded as he jumped at the sound of her voice, managing to spill the fresh mug of coffee he had just gotten on his shirt.

"Shit." He was glad he hadn't burned his tongue on the coffee, but it wasn't exactly cold when it spilled on his shirt and went through to his skin.

Catherine laughed in that particularly cute, annoying way of hers.

"Sorry, Danny. Didn't mean to scare you," she grinned.

Danny wasn't so sure that she didn't get a kick out of making him spill his coffee. He looked up at her and quirked a smile.

"No problem. Just wasn't expecting anyone in this early," he answered back.

"Well, I'm a Navy girl through and through and I'm used to early mornings," Catherine laughed again. God, why was her laugh so annoying, Danny thought. Just what he needed. A Navy SEALette. All right, maybe she wasn't a SEAL, but close enough if you asked him.

"Rightttt…" Danny groaned in response as he wiped at the spilled coffee on his shirt with the flimsy napkins he had found in his desk drawer. It wasn't doing anything but making it worse. He pushed back from his desk and got up, intending to make his way to the men's room to see if he could get the coffee out before it stained one of his favorite shirts. Damn it! He was in a fairly good mood until this happened. Damn it! He wanted to blame her, but she didn't pour the coffee on him so he couldn't in good conscience be angry at her. Danny stopped himself and looked up. Catherine was still standing there smirking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Catherine grinned, "Just have never seen you this early in the morning. Steve says you don't get up until you absolutely have to. Just surprised is all."

"Oh, yeah, well…" he trailed off. "Well, I'm going to see if I can get this out and my shirt dried before the rest of the troops show up." He moved around his desk towards the door of his office. Catherine hadn't moved. He looked up at her questioningly. Damn, even that bothered him. He had to look UP at her.

"Um, Catherine, is there something else I can help you with?" Danny asked.

"Well, Danny, yes, there is," she responded without saying anything more.

"Can it wait until I get back from the men's room?" Danny requested.

"Sure. I'll be in my office," and with that Catherine moved off down the hallway.

What the hell was that all about? Danny wondered. Shaking his head, he maneuvered down to the men's room to de-coffee himself.

***H-5-0***

Before Danny got a chance to ask Catherine what she needed, the others had shown up. He had just returned from the men's room to find Steve and Chin discussing their ongoing, long-term case at the computer table. Catherine was just coming out of her 'new' office to join them.

"Good morning, Sailor," Catherine purred next to Steve looking expectantly at him.

"Hey, Cath," Steve smiled at her. "Let's all go over our roles on the takedown one more time." Steve turned back to Chin and the computer table to go over the pictures displayed on the screen. Catherine seemed disappointed about something, but the look was quickly gone. A look only Danny seemed to notice. As no one was watching him, he was happy enough not having to hide the curious raising of his eyebrow.

"Hey, guys," Danny chimed in.

"Danny, about time you got here," Steve sounded annoyed, "We have a lot to do today to get this sting set up."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Danny started, about to point out that he had beat everybody in.

"Danny, just stop. I don't need one of your rants this morning. Just get focused, will you?" Steve growled. Steve's growing headache from the stress of silent worries for protecting Catherine and the upcoming takedown, made him a little less patient and tolerant this morning.

"Okay, mighty Super SEAL. Your wish is my command," Danny sarcastically responded.

Steve didn't even look up, ignoring Danny.

"The sting goes down tonight. Kamekona has his eyes and ears open to any noise on the wireless that could compromise the operation. HPD will have officers in plain street attire strategically placed to ensure all potential exits are covered. Chin, you and Danny will take the backside of the building. Danny, you cover Chin's six. Cath, you and I will have the front. I'll need you to keep close to me and pay attention to anyone out of the ordinary in and around the building. You'll need to keep the team informed of any outside influences unplanned for, got it?"

"Got it," Cat quickly responded, "I'll have the portable surveillance equipment on me as we discussed."

No one else spoke.

"Chin, Danny, any questions?" Steve asked.

Again, silence.

Steve looked up from the computer table, clearly annoyed, "Any questions?"

"No, no questions," Danny replied quietly. How many times did they have to go over this? The takedown had been planned for months and in excruciating detail. Any time a detail changed, the team had to review their part from beginning to end. The only difference now was the addition of Catherine at the last moment.

Chin looked at Danny and knew exactly what was going through his head. Danny was worried about the new working relationship with Catherine and Steve's seemingly obliviousness to potential problems. It felt awkward to Chin having Steve partner with Catherine and Danny with him. Chin instinctively knew that Steve felt he needed to have Catherine by his side during her introduction to working at 5-0. Danny knew it, too, on some level. The problem was that Steve hadn't explained any of this to Danny. Probably because he knew Danny would disagree with him for a variety of good reasons. Steve just didn't want to deal with what Steve would label Danny's negativity right now. Chin felt for Danny, knowing how sensitive the Detective was and how loyal he was to Steve. It had to hurt.

"Okay, then, if we're all clear on our assignments, we'll get prepped by 6:00 pm tonight. Takedown at 7:00 pm sharp," Steve said, "Study the blueprints… the layout of the building, the info we have on the suspects and their pictures, any and everything related to this takedown and get yourselves ready."

"Gotcha," stated Chin. "By the way, Danny, what happened to you?" he laughed as he looked at Danny's damp shirt.

"Just a little run in with a mug of coffee this morning," Danny chuckled, "It won."

"So why didn't you just change your shirt before you came in?" Steve said, glancing in his direction.

"Maybe because the coffee and I tussled here, Steven, before you got in," Danny smirked.

"Huh?" Steve mumbled, but Danny had already walked away.

***H-5-0***

Danny was settling into his chair in his office when Catherine poked her head into his office, again.

"Danny?" Catherine said.

Looking up, Danny said, "Hey, Catherine. What can I do for you?" Man, he was going to have to practice in front of the mirror to make sure his friendliness came across as genuine! He just couldn't quite figure out what was bothering him so much. He and Catherine had always been friendly.

"As I was telling you earlier, I was wondering if you would help me with something," Catherine stated coyly.

"Come on in, take a seat. How can I help you?" Danny, ever the gentlemen, said.

"Well, um…" Catherine hemmed and hawed, "I was wondering if you would teach me the ins and outs of 5-0 and the best way to fit in. I mean, I know you all know me, but you only know me as Steve's 'friend' and sometimes helper when I was still in Naval Intelligence. The problem is that this is a completely different role for me and I don't want to do anything to upset the balance of the team, you know?"

Danny was a little surprised. No way did he think Catherine would come to him for help. She had Steve after all and they were a little more than 'just close friends'.

"Gee, Catherine, I would think that Steve would give you all the pointers you need. I mean you guys go way back and your current relationship would give you plenty of opportunities to talk to him about anything you need in regards to 5-0. How can I help you better than Steve?" Danny inquired.

"Well, Danny, you and Steve are best friends on top of being each other's partner. Plus, you're a guy. You know him in a completely different way than I do." Danny couldn't help but snort at that. Catherine smiled and continued, "You know how he works on the job, what keeps him grounded, what he needs from a team member and when to stand down or when to get in his face. I may know how to handle him in a 'romantic' relationship and as a 'friend', but I'm not all that sure in the work place."

"Catherine, don't you think you should bring these concerns up to Steve? I'm sure he would be more than happy to help you with any issues you have. I mean, he may want to, you know? Knowing that you guys are so close and he is after all the leader of the Task Force. I don't want to overstep my bounds with him when it comes to you," Danny explained. Shit this was awkward. What in the hell did she want from him? This was hard enough as it was.

"I guess this was a mistake, Danny. I was just hoping you could give me some pointers so I don't piss him off right off the top."

"Piss him off? Piss him off? Oh, that is rich. You coming to me for pointers on how not to piss him off. I piss him off every day!" Danny was almost rolling on the floor in laughter.

Catherine pinched her nose with the thumb and forefinger of her right hand. She wasn't sure this was going to work the way she wanted it to.

"Okay, Danny, I get it. You don't want to help me. It's okay. I'll just figure it out on my own as we go. Sorry I asked," Catherine said sheepishly as she stood to leave trying her best to hide her annoyance.

"No, no, no. Stop, Catherine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel funny about this. It's just that you and Steve are so close, I can't believe you would need help from me when it comes to Super SEAL," Danny rejoined. "I'll help you in any way that I can."

"Thanks, Danny. I really appreciate it," Catherine smiled at him. At that she walked out of his office and down the hallway, her hands fluttering behind her back in anticipation.

***H-5-0***

_~to be continued~_


	3. Mouse Trap

_Again, thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites. I love reading all of them – good, bad or indifferent. Some of the reviews have actually given me ideas to incorporate into the storyline. I get triggers from everything! You may see something you wrote in a review incorporated into the story. Hopefully, you'll be pleased and not upset or offended. _

_About Catherine: Some of you like her, some of you don't, some of you just don't like her as part of 5-0. To set the record straight, it's not that I dislike her; it's just that I don't like her being an official part of 5-0. As I hoped I clarified in the summary, being involved with someone romantically and working with them, especially in the type of work 5-0 does, is just open to all kinds of conflicts, distractions and misunderstandings. Danny is being Danny and is worried how all this is going to affect their working relationships. _

_And, too, Catherine is feeling a bit insecure right now. She left the Navy, started a new job, lost her boss (and ex-boyfriend) on their first operation together (lots of loss and change in a short period of time) – she is not exactly super emotionally stable (or at least she shouldn't be if she is normal like the rest of us). She is going to do some things that under normal circumstances would never cross her mind! And, Steve being Steve, he's going to try to protect and comfort her. _

_Okay, enough of that. _

_Although the idea of putting drugs into pineapples was my idea because of Danny's explicit dislike of the things, I did a lot of on-line research into how drugs are transported, the DEA, other country's counterparts to the DEA, how the U.S. and other countries work together to take down international drug trafficking, how SWAT teams work and their areas of expertise and so on. So imagine my surprise when I found a news story about cored-out pineapples being used to transport cocaine! This happened in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. How perfect! Since my beta is from Canada, I couldn't miss an opportunity to work this into the storyline. _

_I'm not sure who my muses are (probably my cats), but they are very, very busy. _

_But, please, please, please understand this is fiction. I've woven fact and fiction into the background information on the drug takedown operation and Honolulu may not be as big a deal in the drug trafficking trade as my story would suggest. I incorporated pineapples, drugs and the seriousness of the impending takedown to set the tone for the next parts of the story. Please don't bash me over the head too badly. (I'll just hold a pillow over my head if you do). _

_Many, many thanks again to Miss Exceptional Beta, Storyfan101, for your fabulous edits and suggestions. _

_Sorry for the long-winded introduction to this chapter. Whew… Enjoy! :-)_

***H-5-0***

**Chapter 2 – Mouse Trap**

The rest of the morning went fairly smoothly. Each of the team had gone over their individual roles for the takedown that was to happen later that night. Chin had gone over the layout of the building again with all of them so that there was no misunderstanding which doors and windows were most likely to be escape routes for the criminals and for which each of them was responsible. They even knew about the trapdoors and the exit to the roof where there was enough room for a helicopter to land.

They knew every detail of the building thanks to the blueprints provided by the original owner and builder, Thomas Kelekolio, a notoriously arrogant, yet stuffy businessman who, along with his successful building company, owned the independent farms that produced a large portion of the pineapple on the islands. He was aghast when he found out that drugs were being exported in the cores of selected pineapples shipped to 'preferred' buyers on the mainland and Canada. Stunned would be a better word to describe his reaction which is the only reason he had agreed so readily to help Five-0 and HPD with the takedown operation. He didn't need any negative press – that was for sure. To keep his life simple, Thomas swore to secrecy the providing of the blueprints. Not interested in jail if he betrayed the _'good guys_', nor death if known about his part by the '_bad guys_', he knew when to keep his mouth shut. Instinctively he knew it would be best if the 'bad guys' never knew of his involvement in clearing them out from within his company's borders.

The takedown itself had been planned for many months after the Drug Enforcement Agency, better known as the DEA, along with its international counterparts had sniffed out the incredibly complex relationships that had been built among various drug cartels, traffickers, middle men, transportation venues and so many other aspects of this major global crime network. Five-0 and HPD, including its SWAT Division, had been working with the local Hawaiian DEA over many months to plan the Honolulu takedown. When other cases were added to their caseload, 5-0 and HPD didn't quit working on the planning, they simply temporarily placed it in the background while they took on the immediate concern.

The drug underground had worked long and hard to build this international network of untrustworthy partners in crime into something sustainable and they were not going to go down easily. The unnatural alliance among these criminals was hard fought and hard won. They had their own way of dealing with traitors in their midst. Thus, those players from the DEA who risked their lives being undercover for years at a time knew that this takedown was their potential death. It had to be executed perfectly.

The money laundering and exchange from this crime network was in the billions of dollars. The product was being shipped, flown, railed – you name it – to the U.S. mainland where it was further distributed to Canada and sometimes on to Europe depending upon the drug network link. The data gathering itself had spanned over three years with many undercover DEA agents strategically placed around the globe.

Crippling this international drug network was the DEA's major focus. Working with various law enforcement counterparts in Canada, Central America, Mexico and parts of Europe, this would be one of the largest drug takedowns in the history of the world if successful.

The DEA and their international team's plan was to hit six major transfer points – Vancouver, British Columbia and St. John, New Brunswick, Canada; Mexico City, Mexico; Miami, Florida, Los Angeles, California and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA – and shut them down simultaneously to make the drug kingpins scramble and be put on notice that the DEA and its international affiliates were onto them. It wouldn't shut down the drug trade in total, but it was the hope that the takedown would disrupt and cripple this drug network badly enough to scare potential large-scale buyers away, thus impacting the drug cartels where it hurt – the pocketbook. And, it would take time for the criminals to rebound and rebuild. One could only hope.

The DEA coordinated the investigation between the U.S. and Canadian law enforcement and operated out of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa and at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver. The DEA was hoping to shut down two major ports in Canada. Working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) which has the budget, manpower and national jurisdiction to be able to mount large-scale, anti-drug operations, the DEA was optimistic. Given that Canada's Criminal Code applies in all parts of the country, it would be a lot easier to convict there than in the U.S. where all the Federal and state criminal codes could complicate convictions.

Like so many other drug trafficking schemes, Central America was being used as a mid-point storage and transit region for drugs being transported to Mexico and/or the mainland United States. Most drug trafficking organizations and criminal groups located in Mexico (predominantly smugglers, transporters and wholesale distributors of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and Mexico-product heroin in the United States) were arms of this network. Their extent and reach was unfathomable.

DEA offices located in Mexico and Central America had conducted bilateral investigations with their foreign counterparts, providing investigative assistance and leads to DEA domestic offices and other agencies and provided training and technical equipment to host nation participants to initiate and carry out the complex criminal investigations needed.

Information was shared quickly among the various international affiliates of this massive undertaking, sometimes almost instantaneously, through enhanced Internet data exchange with built-in high-level security features and multiple databases storing various tidbits of information. This DEA team had some of the best, and highest paid, information technology specialists in the world. The team had even utilized some well-known hackers for segments of the programming and to identify possible means of navigating around system security features. In other non-related endeavors, hackers had proven themselves to be some of the best '_systems_ _analysts'_ and '_testers_' of information technology implementation and security. They helped the DEA team to identify possible system leaks and paths that could subvert the data systems the DEA had in place and then helped with solutions to plug these potential gaps.

The cost of this operation was exorbitant, but well worth it in the eyes of the officials of the countries who were most negatively affected by this extensive drug network.

Over the last several years, there had been multiple large seizures of drugs hidden in fruits and vegetables at land borders not only in the U.S., but also in Canada. Who would have thought pineapples, mangoes and coconuts would be used to transport drugs?

When the Hawaiian Office of the DEA had discovered cocaine in plug and pellet forms inside pineapples using X-ray technology and detector dogs, they were surprised. It was a first. The creativity of the criminals just blew their minds although they shouldn't have been surprised because other country's drug dealers had used fruits and vegetables, including pineapples, for years to smuggle illicit drugs. These traffickers were smart. They didn't plant the drugs in every pineapple in every box. No. They were randomly placed in under 18% of the pineapples in the entire box. The boxes were coded by number so that those receiving the product, and upon scanning, would know which boxes to look in and which sections of the box contained the drug-laden pineapples. The code was simple really, but efficient.

So, it was with no surprise that Honolulu had become a port of interest in the takedown with Hawaii being historically the largest producer and source for U.S. pineapples and with its own drug trafficking network that included transport of massive amounts of marijuana and cocaine. There was only one fresh pineapple operation left on Oahu and Thomas Kelekolio provided a majority of the pineapples to this operation. He also owned the distribution plant that was the location for the takedown – thus, the need for the blueprints and Mr. Kelekolio's knowledge to effectively plan for the takedown.

The importance of this operation could not be underestimated. If you were on ANY of the takedown teams at the six destinations, the world could be assured that you were one of the best. With the infiltration by drug moles into official law enforcement positions occurring more and more frequently, members chosen to participate in the takedown were deeply vetted, their lives scrutinized down to how many blades of grass (or rocks, if they lived in Hawaii!) were in their yard. If you were on a team, no matter where you were at the moment, if you sneezed everybody else on the team heard it and wiped their noses with you.

And within each team, knowledge was disseminated on a need-to-know basis only. No one except the leaders of the countries involved knew every element of the takedown. Knowledge and intricate, detailed plans were segmented to protect the various aspects of the operation. It was so broad in scope, if too many people knew every aspect and detail, the drug kingpins would have found out about it and killed any opportunity for this level of a takedown.

In Hawaii, Governor Denning only knew about the operation as it pertained to Hawaii and had been given strict instructions by the President of the United States to work with the DEA to close down the Honolulu port of the drug trafficking network.

Five-0, HPD, and its SWAT Division, were working together with information provided by the DEA to, with planning and luck, seamlessly and easily take these bastards down. These criminals were not going to have a second chance in Hawaii if Steve McGarrett, Duke Lukela and Lou Grover had anything to say about it. Governor Denning was adamant that smooth coordination among all the team members was critical. He did not want to have the only takedown team that failed or heads would roll. And every one of his team leaders was going to make sure that they were not the one who caused any failure.

Sergeant Duke Lukela had been requested by the Governor himself to coordinate HPD's part in the takedown because of his extensive experience with drug trafficking and his longevity with HPD. All plainclothes activities were under his command in addition to providing backup HPD manpower and support for 5-0 and SWAT.

SWAT Captain Lou Grover was in charge of all aerial and water operations of the takedown. His team had already learned that the master criminals had planned on escaping via helicopter from the roof of the plant after successful storage of the pineapples on the departing ships bound for Los Angeles and Vancouver. He and his team were ready and waiting. He could barely hold back his aggressive eagerness. He was a perfect counterpart to Steve McGarrett who was just as aggressive and just as eager to shut this whole thing down.

McGarrett's team was in charge of ground operations and overall operational support through interactive surveillance of the entire operation as it occurred. He was glad to have Catherine Rollins on his team with her expertise in technological surveillance. He couldn't have asked for anyone better for this task. He was positive this takedown would go smoothly and quickly. He had the team that could do it.

***H-5-0***

At lunch time, Steve and Catherine had gone out leaving Danny and Chin alone. Having already completed his checklist for the later operation, Danny was working on files and reports when Chin knocked on his door.

"Hey, Danny, can we talk for a sec?" Chin asked.

"Sure, Chin, what's up?" Danny looked up from his computer.

"Danny, I don't know how to bring this up exactly, but…" Chin started.

"Just spit it out, Chin. I could feel you looking at me all morning out of the corner of your eye. I can only guess what this is in relation to," Danny responded.

Chin chuckled, "We really can read each other well, can't we? Guess that comes from working together so well for the last couple of years. Which brings up, ummm…"

Danny knew what the topic was – Catherine, of course. If Steve was even vaguely paying attention to anybody besides Catherine, he would have seen it. Danny wasn't exactly the best at hiding his emotions even though he tried.

"Danny, I know you have misgivings about Catherine being on the team, as do I. Steve obviously doesn't have any qualms. I think we just need to let it play out, don't you? I mean, she has some great skills and while Kono's gone, we could certainly use an extra hand. She has Naval Intelligence at her back if we need it. Experience in areas the rest of us don't have. She knows more about technological surveillance than the whole state of Hawaii and she's smart. She's not such a bad addition to the team, you know?" Chin said.

"Yeah, Chin, I know… you don't think I've thought about everything you just said? I have. My main concern is Steve and Catherine's romantic relationship and its impact on 5-0 operations. If you don't think that aspect of their relationship is going to affect anything here, I think you're wrong. Steve will become the Neanderthal that he is – me Tarzan, you Jane – sort of thing. He'll feel he has to protect her because he IS a man and he's HER man. Steve is so unaware of male/female dynamics, it would be almost funny if it wasn't so pathetic. And, because of his history with his mom, he's probably going to feel that protectiveness even stronger. We have to be a team. We have to have each other's backs. We can't pick and choose which member of the team we'll take care of. It has to be all or nothing. I'm afraid that when all is said and done, Steve will pick Catherine every time regardless of the situation or circumstances and he won't necessarily think anybody else can do the job as well as he can. THAT is what concerns me," Danny explained.

"Hmmm, you have a point there, Danny," Chin said thoughtfully.

"As much as we care about each other, Chin, we always try to do what's right for the operation. I'm not saying we don't care when one of us in trouble, because obviously we do. We just have to think strategically and smart and not emotionally as best we can. I know that's not always possible, but I'm really worried that Steve's mind will be focused on Catherine ALL the time no matter what the situation. With our jobs being as dangerous as they already are, we don't need to be adding emotional issues to the mix."

"You know, Danny, I think you might be over-thinking this and causing yourself undue stress and worry. Are you sure there isn't something more personal involved for you?" Chin asked gently.

"Could be… I've thought about that, too. Steve and I make great partners. We practically know what the other is thinking without having to say anything. That's really helpful when we're out in the field," Danny said. He really didn't want to admit to Chin, or to himself for that matter, that there may be a hint of jealousy where Catherine was concerned. And a little fear, too. Fear that he was replaceable as Steve's partner.

"Danny, that's not going to go away. I think Steve is just trying to help Catherine feel at home with 5-0. He'll calm down and be back to himself. Just give him a little time to get used to having Catherine on the team, too. We'll all adjust. I know we will," Chin stated with certainty.

"Yeah, you're probably right, Chin. I'm probably just nervous about tonight. I just need to get over myself on this one," Danny grinned.

"Yeah, brah. Get over yourself," Chin chuckled, "You want to grab a bite?"

"Nah, I'll stay here and finish these reports from last week. Give my brain something to focus on. If you're going out, will you grab me a burger, though?"

"Sure. I'll be back in 15. Oh, and Danny?" Chin stopped. Danny looked at him quizzically. "Don't sweat this. It will all work out."

"I'm sure you're right," Danny smiled and waved Chin out of his office. Not wanting to think about it anymore, Danny focused on finalizing the reports he was working on. The only problem was the niggling 'something' in the back of his brain. Something he couldn't put his finger on. His gut was telling him this was not as 'okay' as Chin thought. But until he could figure it out, he'd have to put it on the back burner. He needed to be focused for the takedown tonight.

***H-5-0***

Steve and Catherine came back from lunch, Catherine laughing and hanging on Steve's arm. Steve was grinning and they were obviously enjoying a private joke. They made their way to Steve's office and Catherine wrapped her arms around his waist. Steve stiffened a little as he glanced towards Chin's and Danny's offices. Catherine leaned in and gave him quite the kiss. Steve couldn't say he didn't like it, but he was a little uncomfortable that Chin and Danny were so close by. If Kono was here, she would have given him the _'stink eye'_. He relaxed when he realized that neither Chin nor Danny had looked up from their work and hadn't noticed. Or so he thought.

Danny had his head slightly down as he pounded away on his computer keyboard. He had seen the kiss and Catherine's behavior. He had quickly glanced away. The familiarity that Steve and Catherine were sharing in the office really should be left at home. It made him uncomfortable and certainly made it difficult for him to bring up any concerns about Catherine to Steve.

And then, of course, there was the planned takedown operation tonight. Catherine had not been involved in the planning stages of this op and was brought on at the last minute. This made him just plain nervous and apprehensive. Even though she would be with Steve, she had not been on a takedown with them before. Nobody knew, not even Steve, how she would respond and this was such a big operation there was no room for mistakes.

Steve had relegated the original technology surveillance operator of the team to backup in deference to Catherine because of her exceptional skills in that area and because she was now a member of 5-0. Or so he said.

Danny couldn't disagree with Steve on the assessment of her skills. It was just the timing. And, even though he was a little upset that Steve had changed partners at the last minute, too, he was more concerned about the successful completion of the op. They had all been cross-trained and each could take any of the other's place at a moment's notice, if necessary. But Catherine had not had all the training the rest of them had had.

He was questioning Steve's judgment. He sincerely hoped the decisions he was making were based on sound, logical valuations and not misguided emotions for Catherine. He was afraid to say anything to Steve because he really didn't want to tick him off right now. They all had to be on point tonight. Making mistakes was not an option. He just hoped Steve had told Catherine that, too.

***H-5-0***

Catherine had seen Danny glance in her and Steve's direction out of the corner of her eye during 'the kiss'. She was having fun and was so glad to be working with Steve. This opportunity was very important to her and keeping Steve close made her feel more secure. She had always been a confident person, but lately with all that had happened to her between leaving the Navy, working for her ex-boyfriend Billy and then him being killed on their first surveillance operation together, she felt she was losing her emotional footing.

When she tried to help Kono, Steve had shown his appreciation by making her a part of 5-0. She was thrilled. And Steve was all over himself today trying to make her feel a part of the team, comfortable and wanted. Last night, he was everything she could ever want in a lover, a partner, a friend, a confidante.

Working the lover and friend parts was easy. Building up to the partner and confidante levels was going to take some time. She had to make Steve feel that he needed her, that he was incomplete without her in every aspect of their intertwined lives and that she would prove to be indispensable to him. She was smart enough to know that she had to give Steve his space once in a while. She just had to make sure that that limited space and time didn't include much of one Danny Williams for the time being. She needed to solidify her position with Steve first.

She just hoped that Danny didn't prove to be too much of an obstacle. She wasn't stupid. She knew that if she were in his shoes, she would be upset. She knew how close Steve and Danny were. At the same time, she was glad for her advantage. Now that she had tabs on Steve in the daytime as well as the evening, it was just a matter of time before Steve realized how much he needed her. She smiled to herself. It would sneak up on Steve and if she played her cards right he'd be happy about it.

She stifled her momentary feelings of guilt about Danny, knowing that he might end up as collateral damage if things worked out the way she wanted them to. She didn't want to think about him right now. As a matter of fact, all she wanted to think about was Steve.

Her last thought before tousling Steve's hair and walking back to her office was, "All's fair in love and war…"

***H-5-0***

_~to be continued~_


End file.
